Public can tour new hospital wing in Dover on Jan. 5

DOVER — A Community Open House will let the public tour Wentworth-Douglass Hospital's new Garrison Wing next week.

On Saturday, Jan. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the public is welcome to view the new wing, named after Dover's nickname. People will also be able to visit the new Health Resource Library and walk through the Healing Garden, weather permitting.

According to a statement from the hospital, the wing was necessary to bring more space: “Patient volumes grew dramatically in the past decade and projections indicate the medical needs of the retiring baby boomer population will increase the demand for more hospital services.”

The first floor will consist of the new library, the Chaplain, Social Work Services, Community Relations and Human Resources, along with classrooms and auditoriums for staff training, community lectures and continuing medical education.

The second floor will feature the new Women and Children's Center, painting brightly with bumblebees, butterflies and animals down the halls, in memory of Dover's first pediatrician, Dr. Robert Wilson, with a dedicated C-section operating room and the Hannaford Special Care Nursery.

The third floor will house the Joint Replacement Center's Joint Camp Exercise room, donated by Seacoast Orthopedic and Sports Medicine. This room has standard rehab equipment and a car designed to help patients learn how to use their new joints and prepare to go home. This floor, along with the fourth floor, has 32 private, patient-centered rooms complete with large windows, private bathrooms and carpeted hallways, all equipped with interactive communication technology.

The tour will conclude with hot chocolate in to-go mugs and mini first aid kits distributed to guests.

For more information about the Garrison Wing or the open house, contact Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, located at 789 Central Ave. at 742-5252 or at www.wdhospital.com.